Coin-controlled telephone



(No Model.)

. 2 Shets-S-heet I.. 0. B. HOPKINS & T. H. ELSOM.

COIN CONTROLLBD TELEPHONE.

, Pate td July l,V 1895.

(No Model.) y 2 sheetssheet 2,

o. B. HOPKINS an T. H. BLSOM. GOIN GONTROLLED TELEPHONE.

N0.542,679. f Patented Ju1y16,1895.

/ oma s i7,/2/'550/71/ NirED STATES PATENT Ormea.

CHARLES B. HOPKINSAND THOMAS H. ELSOM, OF VSPOKANE, WASHINGTON.

COIN-CONTROLLED TELEPHONE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N o. 542,679, dated July 16, 1895.

i Application led March 16,1894. Serial No. 503,866. (No model.)

`To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that we, CHARLES B. HOPKIN and THOMAS H. ELSOM, citizens of the United States, residing at Spokane, in the county of Spokane and State of ,Washingtom have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Coin-Controlled Telephone Apparatus, (Oase No. 2,) of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forminga part of this specification.

Our invention relates to coin-controlled telephone apparatus; and its object is to provide means whereby access to the telephone of a pay-station may be secured by the insertion of a coin, and, Afurther, to provide means whereby spurious coin `or slugs, when inserted,will be incapable of operating the apparatus.

Our invention in its preferred form comprises a passage-way for the coin of some considerable length, the coin being adapted on its entrance upon the passage-Way to close an electric circuit, and upon its passage therefrom to again open the circuit, thus aotuating a call device and informing the operator that a connection is'desired.

ln order to render the apparatus inoperative under the influence of spurious coin or slugs we provide a series of guideways through which the coin must pass before reaching the signal-controlling passage-way, the several guideways subjecting the coin to a series of tests and rejecting it if itdoes not meet the requirements. Slugs composed of magnetic material are stopped in their passage by means of a magnet and removed from the guideway by the act of inserting another coin. To detect coins of inferior resiliency, such as coins made of or'containing considerable lead, a block of metal, as steel, is provided, against which the coin in its passage must strike, the block being so situated that a coin of inferior resiliency will fall short of the next section of the guideway, and thus be rejected. To detect coins of less diameter than that of coins required to operate the apparatus the plane of` the passage-way is rendered oblique for a short length, the side of the way toward which the coin leans in passing this portion .being cutaway to permit such coins of less diameter to fall out. To'reject coins of less than the required thickness the guideway' is provided for a portion i of its length with a slot in the bottom of such width that coins of lesser thickness will pass through the slot on arrival at this portion of the guideway.` This embodiment of ourinvention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is an elevational view of the coincontrolled apparatus. Fig. 2 is a detail view of the device for ejecting a magnetic slug.

Fig. 3 is a detail view of the device for ejecting coins Yof inferior resiliency. Fig. et is a transverse view of the passage-way on line t 4, Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a detail View showing the slot for rejecting thin coin, which is located in the bottom of the guideway. Fig. 6 is a transverse view on line 6 6, Fig.V 5. Fig. 7 is a view of the signal-controlling passage-way with a coin passing therethrough. Fig. `8 is a sectional view of a transmitter-mouthpiece provided with a buzzer after the manner of our invention. Fig. 9 is a sectional viewon line 9 9, Fig. 8. Fig. 10 is a perspective view Y of a telephone set used in connection with our coin-controlled apparatus.

Like letters refer to like parts in the several igures. j j The signal-controlling passage-way a comprises a zigzag path composed of oblique ways sloping alternately in opposite directions, the ends overlapping so that the coin may pass from one to another in its journey. The coin in entering upon this passage-way serves to close an electric circuit to actuate the signal device and to open the circuit upon passing therefrom. The closing of the circuit is accomplished by means of the trigger h', which is composed of an arm carried upon the pivoted block b, the block being so weighted that the trigger b normally rests in the path of therrooin. Upon the said block b is carried an insulating-strip b2, against which normally bears an arm oofa second pivoted block c, which is so Weighted that said arm is yieldingly held against said strip b2. J ust below the strip b2 is provided a shoulder b3 upon the block b, and when the trigger h is depressed by the impact of the coin the block b is rotated until the end of arm c rests against the shoulder b3, the block being thus prevented from rotating back to its former IOT.)

position. The blocksh and c form the terminals of the electric circuit, andso long as arm c rests against insulating-strip b2 the circuit is open; but when the coin rotates block b the metallic portions of the blocks are brought into contact to close the circuit and maintain it closed until the block c is 'caused to release the block b. To accomplish this release a second trigger d is provided at the lower end of the passage-Way and consists of an arm provided upon the pivoted block d, which is so weighted that trigger d normally rests in front of the exit end of the passageway. When the coin strikes said trigger d', block c is rotated by means ofthe connecting-link c2, thus carrying arm c to the right and out ot' engagement with the shoulder h3 upon block ZJ, thereby permitting block Z7 to rotate to its normal position. The coin having passed the trigger d said trigger returns to its normal position, thu-s bringing arm c againstthe strip of insulation h2. 'lhus so long'as the coin is on its journey through the passageway the electric circuit is closed and may serve to actuate any preferred form of signal device.

In Figs. S and 9 we have illust-rated a signal device comprising a buzzer adapted to be placed near the diaphragm of the transmitter,- and to prevent its interference with the use of the transmitter for conversational purposesn a receptacle is provided communicating with the mouthpiece, in which the buzzer or bell may be located. As the coin passes through the zigzag passage-way it makes a characteristic noise as it falls from Oneway to another, and we may rely upon this characteristic sound as a signal, the transmitter, through the agency of the hack board of the telephone set acting as a sounding-board, transmitting the sound to the operator at the central sta; tion.- Instead ot using the transmitter for conveying the signal the circuit when closed may actuate a signal device located at the central office or may serve in any preferred manner to inform the operator that a connec tion is desired.

To render the apparatus inoperative under the influence of a coin or slug possessing magnetic properties, we provide a magnete with its pole situated near the guidew'ay at some point. When the magnetic slug reaches a position opposite the pole of the magnet it is stopped by the attraction ot' the magnet. To eject the slug thus detained in its passage, the section c" of the guideway is rotatably mounted at e2. A portion of the bottom of the guideway is cut away, and a rotatably mounted pla-te e3 normally serves as the bot tom of the guideway. Vhen, however, the section e is rotated the plate e3 is rotated into the position shown in Fig. 2te form a spout, through which the magnetic slug,- having been removed from the influence of the mag net by the rotation of section e',- will pass, being thus ejected vfrom the guideway.v The section e is rotatedby means of a handle e4 gins its journey.

extending kthrough and moving in the slot e5 provided for the insertion of the coin. A plate e6 maintains the slot closed except when the handle is depressed. When the handleis depressed the coin may be inserted and when released the spring eibrings section e back to its normal oblique position and causes the coin to roll through the guideway. The coin having passed the section e of the guideway enters the section g, which slants in the opposite direction. The coin upon emerging from the end of secti-on g strikes the block g at an angle, being deflected 'and bounding into the section h. The block may be made of steel or any material possessing resiliency. The end of section t is located at such a distance from block g that a coin of inferior resiliency will fall short of said section h.

The plane of section 71. is oblique for a portion ot' its length, the .coin as it passes there through being caused to lean outward. -The side toward which the coi-n leans is cut away at this point,` so that any coin of less than the required diameter will fall from the guideway through the ope-ning 7L in passing this portion of section h. At the lower en-d of section h is provided a slot h2 in the bottom of the guideway ot' such a width that coins of lesser thickness will, on reaching this portion of the guideway, pass through, being thus ejected from the way. The section h conducts the coin into Vsection t, between the lower end ot' which and the signal-controlling passage-way is located the trigger b. Guideplates 7e are provided for properly directing the rejected coins and conveying them to the coin receptacle Z.

Theoperation of the device will4 be readily understood. By depressing the handle e4 the coin may he inserted in the slot. 1When the handle is released the section e assumes its normally-inclined position' and the coin belf ot not too great diameter the coin passes onward, but if magnetic it is stopped hy magnet e, and upon depressing the handle is ejected through spout c3.- It thecoin is not magnetic it passes upon sec tion gand,striking the block g', bounds into section h. It of inferior resiliency the coin falls short of section h and is thus rejected. Passing upon section h the coin is caused to lea-n toward the opening h', and if of less diameter' than that of the proper coin it will pass from the way. reaches the slot h2, and if of less thickness than the required coin passes therethrough. Continuing, the coin reaches section t', and passes thence upon the signal-controlling passage-way,- first striking trigger h and closing the circuit. to complete its travel through this passage- Way' is sufficient to give the signal for the necessary length of time. Upon issuing from this passage-way the trigger CZ is operated to open 'the' circuit. When the noise of the coin in passing through the signal-controlling passage-way is to be used for conveying the sig- The time required for the coin IIO Continuing, the coin next nal, the circuit-controlling apparatus may, of course, be omitted.

Many modifications of our invention will readily suggest themselves, and We do not, therefore, desire to limit ourselves to details; but

We claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. In a coin controlled apparatus, the combination with the pivoted guide Way e', yieldingly held in an inclined position,of the magnet for arresting a magnetic slug in its travel, and the pivoted plate e3 normally forming part of the bottom of said guide way, and adapted, when the guide way occupies its alternate position to form a spout for the ejection of the slug, substantially as described.

2. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the corn-` bination with the pivoted section e,.the entrance end thereof being elevated, of means for lowering said entrance end to permit the insertion of a coin, and a stationary plate extending through the bottom of said entrance end and of a height to prevent the entrance of a coin of greater than the predetermined diameter; whereby such coin upon depressing said entrance end Will be ejected, substantially as described.

3. In a coin controlled telephone apparatus,` the combination with the signal controlling passageway a, of the circuit closing blocks l) and c actuated by triggers b and d', the guide way e and magnet e for ejecting inagnet-ic coins, the block g for ejecting coins of inferior resiliency, the obliquely situated guide way provided with opening h', andi the guide Way provided with the slot substautially as described.

4. In a coin-controlled apparatus, the combination with a passageway through which the coin is adapted to pass, of a circuit closer at the entrance to said passageway adapted to be actuated to close an electric circuit as the coin passes the same, and a circuit opener adapted to be actuated to open said circuit as the coin passes the same, substantially as described.

r 5. In a coin-controlled telephone apparatus the combination with a buzzer situated in proximity to the telephone transmitter and included in an electric circuit, of a passageway through which the coin, is adapted to pass, a circuit closer at the entrance to said passageway adapted to'be actuated to close said circuit as the coin passes the same, and a circuit opener adapted to be actuated to open said circuit as the coin substantially as described.

In Witness whereof we hereunto subscribe our names this 16th day of February, A. D. 1894.

CHARLES l. HOPKINS. THOMAS H. ELSOM. Witnesses:

F. S. MACGORIGAN, A. P. SAWYER.

passes the same; 

